Unlike individual sports like tennis, golf, or even racing, cricket is a team sport which requires a collective approach to win matches on most occasions, if not all.
But even in cricket, there are some players whose consistent excellence have reached such heights that they regularly help their sides win matches almost single-handedly — or as single-handedly as possible in a team sport.
Over the last decade, Bangladesh have made big strides in international cricket, especially in the fifty-over format in which the Tigers have established themselves as a force to reckon with.
And there is one particular cricketer who has lifted himself to a world-class standard over the last 10 years or so consistently for Bangladesh and he is none other than Shakib Al Hasan. His impact both as a cricketer and also as a global figure from Bangladesh is something no sportsman of the country has achieved.
Shakib has taken himself and Bangladesh cricket to the next level by performing brilliantly and helping win matches on bigger stages. That was no easy task for someone playing for a side that — especially when Shakib started his journey to consistently being at the top of the all-rounders’ rankings — was inexperienced compared to other top cricketing nations.
Once again, his contributions were recognised by the governing body of world cricket after the ICC announced the teams of the decade in all three formats recently. Shakib was the only Bangladeshi in the ICC’s teams as the champion all-rounder was named in the Men’s ODI team of the decade.
His teammates are luminaries such as MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, David Warner, Ben Stokes, or AB de Villiers. For many in the country, with memories of humiliations past still fresh in the mind, this may seem like high prestige, but it is to Shakib’s immense credit that his place in rarefied company is not surprising. Such has been his impact for Bangladesh over a sustained period — while his stats hold up to scrutiny even when seen in isolation — that it is natural that he is rubbing shoulders with the sport’s greats.
An intangible impact of his exploits is that he enabled other Bangladeshis to believe that it is possible to conquer the world if you have the focus and determination.
His rise is not a surprise for those who know Shakib well. The ace all-rounder hardly shows any emotions, regardless of whether he is at the highest or lowest point of his career, and that sets him apart.
Shakib perhaps has seen it all in his career. In the space of just six months, he put in the greatest all-round performance in World Cup history by scoring 606 runs and picking up 11 wickets, and then was suspended for a year after being found guilty of failing to report corrupt approaches from a bookie.
But even the darkest phase of his career was not able to overshadow the glow of his achievements over a stellar career. The latest recognition was the selection in the team of the decade, and be it for positive things or negative, Shakib remains the one Bangladeshi player at the centre of everyone’s attention.